She's a Pilot
by penguinluv129
Summary: Della has finally returned, but is still recovering in the hospital. When she wakes, the first person she meets...is a pilot? Delpad. One-shot.


Launchpad ran with the kids down the hospital hallway. Dewey was running faster than all of them, Webby close behind.

"Dewey, wait!" He called out to him. The middle triplet ran faster until he made it to a set of double doors with the word "Restricted" on it. He banged on the door. Webby pulled him back as Huey and Louie caught up to him. Launchpad bent over and held himself up to his knees.

"Dang, I guess all those miles they make you run in school nowadays really paid off." He said panting.

Tears filled Dewey's eyes. "Why won't they let us in? Why can't they-"

The doors pushed open towards them. Donald and Scrooge walked out, a serious expression on their faces.

"Launchpad, I thought I told you to-"

"Scrooge, why didn't you tell us you found mom?" Dewey yelled.

"Dewey, please stop yelli-"

"Shut it, Louie. You weren't working to try and find her!"

"And you lied to us about searching about mom!" Huey lectured.

"Guys, can you please-"

"Webby, can you and Launchpad go inside? We need to have a talk with the boys." Donald asked. He handed Launchpad a key card. "We'll call when we're ready to go in. Just keep an eye on her and call us if something changes."

Webby and Launchpad looked at each other. They nodded and entered the restricted area, the heavy doors locking behind them. The restricted room looked like an emergency room from a hospital, but was devoid of any patients or doctors. The only sign of activity was a light on in a room. Beeping came from the monitor inside the room. They slowly approached the room and opened the door.

Laying on the bed, with tubes and wired hooked into various monitors was a small, curvy duck with short white hair.

"Who is she?" Launchpad asked.

"Della Duck." Webby said in awe.

888

Webby was curled up on the sofa in the corner, Launchpad's jacket over her like a blanket. Launchpad watched as Della slept. He groaned and looked at his phone.

"Gee, I hope Mr. McDee and the others don't stay out too long. What if she-"

Della groaned and moved her body. He gasped and watched as her eyes fluttered open. He ran up to the bedside.

"Uh…Miss Della?" He asked.

Della's eyes went wide and she bolted up in the bed. "Donald! The boys!"

"Whoa, whoa, easy now Miss Della. The boys are good. Donald's okay. Just take it easy." Launchpad eased her back into the bed and helped put a pillow behind her to help her sit up.

"What year is it?" She asked.

"Uh…2018?"

She put her head in her hands. "I've been gone so long…I…" She looked up at Launchpad and grabbed him by the collar. "Who are you? How do you know about my boys? Where's my brother?"

He looked at her big eyes. She had one eyebrow raised and had a fierce demeanor. Launchpad's cheeks began to blush.

"I'm a pilot."

She let go of his collar and watched him cautiously. "So am I. What do you pilot?"

"Planes."

Della stared at him in disbelief.

"And Helicopters." He added, still staring at her. She burst into laughter.

"Well obviously!" She giggled. Webby stirred slightly in the corner. Della hushed herself.

"I can do boats too! And submarines! And trains!" Launchpad smiled. "I like trains."

"Wow, you're one heck of a pilot if you can drive all those." She smiled and leaned back into the pillows. "Dang. 2018. I've been gone for so long…my kids-"

"Wait, you're Dewey's mom?" Launchpad asked.

"You know my son?"

"He's my best friend." He bragged.

Della chuckled. "Well that makes things a bit complicated." She winked at him.

"Wait, what?"

"Just forget I said anything." She smiled and sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

Launchpad pulled up a chair and sat next to the hospital bed. He stared at her as she rested.

"You're staring at me." She peeked out at him with one eye.

"Mmhmm."

"Why?"

"I, uh…well, you're very pretty." Launchpad looked away from her and scratched his head. Della smiled at him, a tiny flush popped on her cheek. "And I've heard nothing but great things about you from Dewey."

Her smile quickly faded. She looked down at her hands twiddled her fingers around. "What…what does he say about me? Do my boys- do they hate me? Do they know what happened?"

"Well Dewey was searching with Webby- that's her over there." Launchpad pointed to the sleeping little ball in the sofa. "They were searching for things about you, so they could find out what happened to you. The other boys, uh…Dewey's brothers-"

"Huey and Louie." Della smirked.

"Yeah, them. They got mad because Dewey didn't tell them, and they had a big fight. So when we found you and brought you back home, they were…Hmmm…"

"'Hmm' what?"

"I don't know what they think of you yet."

Della sighed and covered her eyes with her hands, holding back tears. "They must think I'm a terrible mother."

"Why would they think that? You're their mom." Launchpad said.

"Because I left them!" She rubbed her face. Her hands were wet from the tears that leaked out of her red tinged eyes. "I went off and did my own thing, without letting anyone know I was safe and why I was doing it and now my kids…"

Della hid her face and started crying. Launchpad got up and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. He lifted Della into his arms and held her in his chest. Her tears soaked his shirt as he cradled her in his arms.

"It's okay, Miss Della."

"It's not! I left my kids! They probably hate me!"

He pushed her head up from his chest and held her face. "I don't think they do."

"Why? How could they love a mother who left them?" She sniffled.

"Because you're their _mom._ " Launchpad wiped the tears from her face. "They could never hate someone they've waited their whole lives to meet."

Della stared into Launchpad's eyes and smiled. She pushed herself back and wiped her face clean. "Thank you."

"No problem, Miss Della."

"It's just, 'Della.'" She chuckled. "You don't have to be so formal with me, mister…?"

"Oh, my name is Launchpad. I'm a pilot."

She giggled. "Nice to meet you, Launchpad."

888

Donald and Scrooge opened the door to Della's hospital room.

"Launchpad, is she up yet?" Scrooge asked.

"Wait, so you drove Donald's boat _inside_ the bin?" Della laughed. "How the heck is that possible?"

"Della!" Donald pushed the door open. Webby sat cross-legged in front of Della on the bed. Launchpad sat in his chair next to her. Della turned to her brother, her face in shock.

"Donnie?" Her eyes welled up with tears. Donald ran to his sister and hugged her.

"God, your face looks so stressed. Did my boys give you a hard time?" She laughed.

"You alone are worse than three boys." He said, smiling.

Webby climbed out of the bed and went to Mr. McDuck. "I think I'll go check on the boys."

"They're in the waiting room with your Granny." Scrooge patted Webby on the head as she skipped out. "Launchpad, you can go too."

Launchpad frowned as he got up and headed to the door. "Okay, Mr. McDee."

Della pulled herself from Donald's arms. "Wait."

The pilot turned around to face her.

"I'll see you again, right?" Della asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm always here. Well, not here at the hospital, but like I fly the place, and the sub, and I drive the limo, and I live in the garage so…yes?" Launchpad smiled.

"Good." Della smiled at him.

Donald and Scrooge looked at each other, fear in their eyes. Scrooge pointed his cane at Launchpad. "You stay away from my niece!"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Launchpad looked at Della. She winked at him. His cheeks went pink."

"Della! Stop it!" Donald lectured.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about!" She shrugged, winking again at Launchpad. His face was red.

"Launchpad, get out!" Scrooge yelled, pushing him out.

"Bye, Dells! I'll see ya later!" Launchpad waved at her before Scrooge slammed the door in his face.

Della giggled. "I like him. He's nice."

"You are not allowed! Don't even think about it!" Donald glared at his sister.

"Too late." She laughed.

888

Launchpad rested his ear on the door.

He heard her giggle. _"I like him. He's nice."_

" _You are not allowed! Don't even think about it!"_

" _Too late."_ Her laughter rang in his ears like little bells. His cheeks felt warm as he giggled to himself.

" _Della, the last thing you need is to be dating!"_ Scrooge whined from inside.

" _Oh, c'mon. You guys are getting way too overprotective of me."_ Della said.

" _Because you just got back!"_ Donald yelled.

" _Guys, he's cute. And nice. And-"_

" _Della! You are not allowed!"_

" _May I remind you that I'm older?"_ She said.

" _I'm older than the both of you combined, and I'm saying that this is the end of it!"_ Scrooge stomped his cane on the floor. The sound echoed through the door. _"Your kids come first, Della."_

The room went silent, only the sound of the beeping monitor filled the void.

" _Fine."_ He heard her mutter.

" _I'm gonna go get the boys."_

The door clicked. Launchpad stepped away from the door. Donald stood in the doorway.

"Did you hear-"

"No, I didn't hear- nothing, I-" Launchpad stammered.

"Donnie, give him a break." Della said from inside the room. Launchpad peeked over Donald's head and looked at Della. She smiled at him. Scrooge scowled at him.

Donald pushed Launchpad aside and poked him in the chest. "You stay away from my sister. The last thing she needs is a boyfriend." He stormed off into the waiting room.

Launchpad looked back at Della again. She winked at him. He smiled back at her. Scrooge whacked her leg with his cane. "Stop encouraging him!"

"What?" Della laughed as she rubbed her sore leg. "And don't hit me. How am I supposed to fly a plane with a broken leg?"

"I'm a pilot." Launchpad said, smiling.


End file.
